Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-12-02
BELL AND WHISTLE.
Latest News All Along
the Rails.
THE S. P. COMPANY'S SCHEMES.
The s. p. l.. A. and U. ROad-The
Opening of the Santa Fe's
New Freight Depot.

Mr.. J. DeBarth Shorb, Mr.. w. ID. Gil
let, Assistant Chief Engineer, and Mr.
Humphreys, Superintendent O
Bridges and Buildings, formed party
of prominent railroad men that left il
the special car Francisco" yesterday
afternoon for San Pedro and Long
Beach. Col. Strohridge arrived in
Los Angeles yesterday morning from
San Francisco and was joined by the
gentlemen named in the afternoon.
The object OF Col. Strobridge's visit
at this time is to look over the ground
ut Long Beach and other points, and
order the construction OF whatever
work he thinks judicious.
A HERALD representative saw him
just before his car left for San Pedro,
and had the following conversation
with him, in the presence of the re-
mainder OF the party.
That is the object of your visit to
Long Beach this afternoon, Colonel, u
asked the reporter.
"Well, am going there particular
ly to look over the road from the Will
mington Division to Long Beach, and
to order work commenced at once"
"The materials were received to.
day, | believer"
eyes, the rails and ties are on the
ground; the rails were sixty pound
and the ties were OF redwood
brought to San Pedro from the red
wood districts according to contracts.
We have ordered 100000 ties
and they are being received
every day. If the weather is favor
able, work will be commenced at once,
and the road will be in thorough
condition inside of thirty days, and we
will run solid trains from Los Angeles
to Long Beach,"
SIS there any truth in the rumor
that the Southern Pacific Company
will build a road from the coast i'll tie
immediate vicinity OF San Pedro to
Whittier, Puente and Spadra"
''No, sir; know nothing about such
road. 1t would be an absurdty to
build it. We will, in time, think,
build road from Norwall, or point
between Downey and Norwalk, to
Whittier, but even this is indefinite" "
"What about the road from Shorb's
switch to Pasadena and San Bernar-
dino, are you going to build that?'
"We are we will certainly build it,
and that, Just as soon as we can per-
feet all our arrangements"
''Do you anticipate any trouble in
securing a right-of-way?"
"That cannot say. | do not know
yet exactly what we will have to con-
tend with, but the road will be built. F"
"What did Mr.. Hood, the engineer,
do, when he was here the other day ~
II have not seen Mr.. Hood yet, nor
have l received any report from him,
consequently | cannot say what he
did"
Well, Col. Strobridge, what other
important railroad matters have you
on hand for this trip, are you going to
do anything about the extension OF
the road to San Diego, soon?"
THAT is something | know nothing
about iust now. From San Pedro |
am going to the Cienega canon, where
Mr.. Hood is now awaiting me. We
are going to see about changing the
line in the caiion."
"Where will you place it, or will
vou take it entirely out of the canon ?'
"Well, no; not exactly out OF the
caTion, though we will place it beyond
all danger of floods. At a meeting OF
the directors, held the first day OF last
month, it was decided that it would
not pay to keep the road where it is
now, and accordingly a new route was
surveyed and submitted for approval,
and | 60 there now to see what had
better be done. The cost OF keeping
the road where it is now is great. not
counting the danger to life, and it
will be cheaper, no matter what
the cost OF construction to place it out
of the way of the waters. which come
through the caf1on with enormous
speed and force. The present road
crosses the river five times in the dis
tance of four miles. The new line
will be placed upon the bluffs and
will only cross the river once. Com
mencing at point between Papago's
and the west end OF the canon, the
new line will run along near the top
of the bluffs, overlooking the river on
the south side for distance OF about
five and one-half miles to the "Nar-
rows" when it will cross on an iron
bridge just q little east OF where the
cribbing was destroyed by fire last
month, to the bluffs on the north side,
and proceed in an almost easterly di-
rection to point a little beyond
Pantano, Just where the present
road leaves the flats of the canon be-
tween Mescal and Pantano and con-
meet with the main line. This alters.-
ton will cause the changing OF about
nine miles of track"
What will be the costP"
"That cannot say, though it will
be quite expensive.
There are several aroyos on the
south side that will have to be bridged
and the bridge across the canon
proper will cost considerable"
:" How high and long will the
bridge be?"
Well, again, cannot say posi-
lively, though l think it will be nearly
two hundred feet long and about forty
feet high. The abutements will rest
upon solid rock"
What kind of grade will this
route give your"
90! pretty easy one all the
way -, :. b hofo,o vo,,
commence operations, and how long
will it take you to finish "'
"We will commence work at once,
and we hope to have everything in
proper shape by next spring"
The train began to move, and after
thanking the gentleman the HERALD
representative took his leave.
THE S. p, l.. A. Il U. r. r.